Leicester City’s urgent striker transfer deadline may compel Steve Cooper to choose among trio
Adam Hlozek, Fotis Ioannidis, and Jordan Ayew linked, but City faces a race against time to secure a new striker for Tottenham clash
Leicester City have just 24 hours to secure a striker for their Premier League opener.
Players involved in Monday night’s match against Tottenham must be registered with the Premier League by midday on Friday, putting pressure on City and their recruitment team.
The top candidate appears to be Bayer Leverkusen’s Adam Hlozek, with reports from Germany suggesting a loan-to-buy deal has been arranged between City and the Bundesliga champions. However, an agreement with Hlozek himself is still required.
Despite the urgency, the deal doesn’t seem imminent as Hlozek was still training with Leverkusen ahead of their German Supercup match against Stuttgart on Saturday.
Another potential target is Fotis Ioannidis, with City reportedly making a £22m bid for the Panathinaikos striker.
However, Ioannidis is also attracting interest from other European clubs and is currently focused on Ajax, Panathinaikos’s opponent in the Europa League third qualifying round on Thursday night.
Crystal Palace’s Jordan Ayew, primarily a winger but capable of playing up front, has also been linked to City.
Reports indicate a £4m bid was made, but it falls short of Palace’s valuation, making a deal before the Friday deadline unlikely.
In light of these challenges, Steve Cooper may have to select a striker from his current squad.
The extent of Patson Daka’s injury remains uncertain, and while Jamie Vardy could return to training soon, Cooper has indicated he is planning without either player.
Tom Cannon is the only fit senior striker in the squad, but he doesn’t seem to be favored by Cooper and may not start.
Stephy Mavididi, who replaced Daka in City’s final pre-season friendly against Lens, is currently the frontrunner for the role.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid is another option, having occasionally played up front at Fulham.
He started in Mavididi’s usual left-wing position on Saturday but has also been used as a number 10.
The arrival of Facundo Buonanotte from Brighton offers Cooper an alternative in the attacking midfield role, potentially allowing De Cordova-Reid to be considered for the striker position.
